PHYSICS 1401: General PHYSICS I SYNONYM 08590 Fall 2007
INSTRUCTOR: JEFF J. BECHTOLD
CREDITS: (4-3-3)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Study of principles and applications of concepts in mechanics, energy, heat, wave motion, and sound. Phys 1401/1402 is the standard algebra-based physics sequence and may, in addition, serve as a prerequisite for the calculus-based sequence.
PREREQUISITES: Grade of "C" or better in MATH 1314, College Algebra, or equivalent.
TEXT:Wilson, Buffa, Lou, College Physics, 6th edition
OTHER MATERIALS:Scientific calculator
INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD: This class is taught in a “lecture/lab” format with one grade for the class. Because of this blending, there will be some mixing between these portions of the class, e.g. quizzes may have lecture and lab questions, and there will be some lecture material that is presented only in the lab.
LECTURE:CYP 2222 M/W 910-1025am
LAB: CYP2236M/W 1035-1150am
OFFICE: CYP 2204.11 PHONE: 223-2119 E-MAIL:
Office Hours: M/Tu/W/Th 840-910am, M 1150-150pm, Tu/Th 1255-125pm,
other hours by appointment
COURSE RATIONAL: This course is designed for students pursuing degrees in scientific and technical majors other than physics and engineering. It provides an overview of basic physics to assist these students in their further studies in science and technology. It is taught at the University level to meet transfer requirements.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Students will: understand the basic principles of physics, be able to communicate these principles clearly, be able to use algebra and the laws of physics to solve simple problems, be able to work together in collaborative groups to perform experiments, gather data, reach conclusions, and solve problems.
Examinations: (changes announced in class)
Quiz I, end of week 4
Quiz II, end of week 8
Quiz III, end of week 12
Final exam,end of week 16
GRADING SYSTEM:
The course grade will be based on the following components:
GRADING SYSTEMLecture component / Laboratory component
Examinations / 90% / Reports, Worksheets
Homework / 10% / & Lab Quizzes
Total: / 100% / Total: / 100%
Letter grades for each component are based on the following scale:
90-100 % ------A
80-90 %------B
70-80 %------C
60-70 %------D
<60 %------F
Your overall grade in the class is determined by the following Departmental Policy:
You must earn a grade of “C” or better in the laboratory portion of the course as well as a grade of “C” or better in the lecture portion of the course in order to earn a grade of “C” or better in the course.
If you do not earn a grade of “C” or better in both the lecture and the laboratory sections of the course, then your grade for the course will be a “D” unless due to your overall course average you have earned an “F” in the course.
The final course grade (for A, B, and C) will bebased on the weighted average of the grades in the lecture and lab components; with the lecture weighted at 75% and the lab weighted at 25%.
QUIZZES
You may bring one3”x5” card of notes for reference during the quizzes. Attendance at the scheduled quizzes is mandatory. No make-up quizzes are given. The first missed class quiz will be replaced by the Final Examination score. Subsequent missed quizzes will receive grades of zero.
LABORATORY
The Lab Score is the average of lab reports, worksheets, and lab-quizzes. No labs are dropped. Missed labs can be made up at open lab on Fridays. A copy of the lab write up will be available online. A maximum of two (2) labs can be made up in this way and must be given to the instructor within three weeks of its original due date. If you do miss a lab (or demonstration), you should obtain a copy of the lab and the experimental results of your group so that you can prepare for the lab quiz. One (1) missed lab quiz will be replaced by the next class-exam score. Subsequent missed lab quizzes cannot be made up.
HOMEWORK
Homework problems will be announced in class and posted on the web. Homework is collected at the beginning of each class examination, with any late homework submissions having at least 10%credit deducted. Late homework will be accepted only through the next class meeting, and only if delivered directly to me in person. Study collaboration is encouraged, but the submitted homework must be individually prepared and worded. Complete credit for hw problems requires you to show allwork in a logical progression,starting by appeal to a basic physics principle or formula before plugging in numerical data . These elements must be included:
a)An English sentence or complete phrase describing the physical principles involved in the solution of the problem
b)Explicitly written-out equations in algebraic form
c)Numerical data substituted into equations and solution worked out
d)Labeled diagrams, as appropriate.
e) Homework must be done in order assigned in a spiral (or otherwise bound) notebook. Homework done out of order or turned in loose-leaf-bound, stapled, etc., will receive a grade of nine (9), or less, out of ten.
FINAL EXAM
Departmental policy dictates that the final exam be comprehensive. It will be similar in format to the other quizzes, but longer. One (1) 8.5x11” page of notes is allowed, and the time allowed is both class periods.
1 / Ch. 1, 2 / Orientation, Safety, 1D Walk
2 / Ch. 2 / Acceleration, Projectile Motion
3 / Ch.3 (sections 1-3) / Newton’s 2nd Law
4 / Ch. 4 / Friction and Newton’s 2nd Law
5 / Ch. 4, 5 / Work and Energy
6 / Ch. 5 / Collisions & Impulse
7 / Ch.6 (sections 1-4) / Circular Motion
8 / Ch. 7 (sections 1-5) / Statics, Rotational Motion
9 / Ch. 8 / Rotational Dynamics
10 / Ch. 8, 9 (sections 1-3) / Thermal Expansion
11 / Ch. 10 (sections 1-4) / Specific Heat
12 / Ch.11 (sections 1-4), 12 (sections 1, 2, 4) / Mechanical Equivalent of Heat
13 / Ch. 12, 13 / Simple Harmonic Motion
14 / Ch. 13 / Waves
15 / Ch. 14 (sections 1-3)
16 / Review & Final Exam
FAQs Grades
- Are the exam scores “curved”? Averages are not computed, however, exams may be curved upward based on the highest scores achieved.
- Are theexams just like the homework? Usually not, and even when they are the same, the questions are perceived as ‘different’, ‘harder’, etc, due to the stress of taking a test.See the “Success and Studying” FAQs below.
- If I do all the homework problems will I get an A in the class? The answer depends on how you did the problems. If you use the problems to improve your understanding and work them over and over till you have mastered the material then you will have given yourself your best chance for an A.
- Do you limit the class to just one or two A’s? No. Anyone who earns an A will get one.
- I got less than 70 on my quiz, should I be concerned? Yes. You will need to have a quiz average very near 70 in order to earn a C in the class.
- Do I have to take the Final Exam? Unfortunately, yes. The department requires that you take a final exam during the last week of class that is worth a minimum of 20%.
- How do students usually do on the Final Exam? In general students do not do as well on the Final Exam as they do on regular quizzes. This is why it is so important to do well during the semester and build up a nice average.
- Will you email me my grade? Federal privacy guidelines (FERPA), as observed, prohibit any electronic or telephonic transmission of student grades.
- Will you mail my grades to me? No, but the school will.
- Can I get my grade online? Yes. The grades are accessible online at ACC’s home page, “student online access”. Registration is required.
FAQs Success and Studying
- How should I study for the exams? Prepare for and participate in every class and lab and take notes. Study regularly and start reviewing your notes a week before the exam. Any topic or point in the notes you are unsure of should be studied over again. Find problems that deal with your weakest areas and work them over and over with variations. Read and review problems dealing with your strong areas, making sure you remember how to do these. Repeat this process until you feel confident. The single most important thing you can do to improve your exam scores: practice solving problems under test conditions with limited time.
- I don’t understand the book, any suggestions? Yes. Reading a physics book is closer to memorizing a poem or learning a language than it is to reading a novel. Read a little bit, then stop and look away, and think about what it means. When and where is it true? Does it relate to anything you have experienced? Take a break after reading a several pages, then go back over what you just read. Repeat this process over sections and then finally over the whole chapter.
- What is the right way to solve problems? Make a sketch. Think about the information given and how it relates to the situation. Write this information in a meaningful way, e.g., at the appropriate place on the sketch. Think about what the relationships between these values should be. Think about what was asked about and what other things you might need, e.g. do you need a constant from the front of the book? You may also need to re-read some areas in the textbook. For problems in one of your weak areas you may need one week of reflection and repetition on this problem until you can work it under test conditions.
- How many hours a day should I study on average if I want an A? One to two hours per day during a 16 week semester is enough for many experienced and well prepared students. Multiply this by three for a short summer session.
- How much time do I have to spend studying to get a C? Surprisingly, almost as much time as it might take to get a low A. In order to get a C you have to get over the “hump”. Once you are proficient, it doesn’t take much more to reach the first level of mastery.
FAQs Homework
- I did all the homework problems and understood them all, why didn’t I get an A on the test? Most students who ask this question did the homework by looking at the answer in the back and figuring out which numbers in the problem, plugged into some formula, gives the answer. Copying an available solution is even less effective.
- I did most of the problems, isn’t that good enough? You probably skipped the one or two problems, which if you had mastered them, would have made a lotof information fall into place for you. Your quiz score could easily be two letter grades lower by skipping only one problem per chapter.
FAQs Computing Your Grade
- How is my grade computed? If you have a score of C or higher in both the lecture and lab, it is 75% Lecture + 25% Lab. If you have a D or lower in either the Lecture or Lab, then you will get a D or an F, depending on your overall average.
- Can you show me how grades are computed? Here is an example for a semester with three quizzes (summer sessions have two quizzes):
Quiz Scores: 78, 89, 90. Final Exam 85. Exam average = (85+89+90+85)/4 = 87.3%
(the 78 quiz score was replaced by the final exam score).
Homework scores: 7, 9.5, 10. Homework average 88.3%.
Lecture score = (0.90)(87.3) + (0.1)(88.3%) = 87.4%.
Lab score 96. Since both Lecture and Lab are C or above we compute as follows:
Class score = (0.75)(87.4) + (0.25)(96) = 89.55. Rounded up, this is an “A”. - Can you tell me what grade I am getting right now? I don’t calculate any overall class grades during the semester. You can compute a mid-semester grade estimate yourself by projecting something about what you think might happen, for example, that your averages remain the same for the rest of the semester. To do this, simply put your projected averages into the appropriate places in the example above.
- Can I still get an A, B, or C? Impossible to predict! As stated above you can calculate a future score based on some projection. Be careful to be realistic when making your projection.
COLLEGE POLICIES:
Attendance Policy: Attendance is required. Instructors can withdraw students after the 4th unexcused absence. In addition, once more than 30% of the total possible lab credit for the course has been missed, you will receive a grade of D, F, or be withdrawn from the course.
Withdrawals:Please consult the class schedule for the deadline for withdrawals and keep an official record of your drop until you have received your grade report.
Incomplete Rule: See incomplete rule in college catalog. Be aware that incompletes are given to students only if they have emergency situations that occur after the withdrawal date.
Record Keeping: Keep all class materials, or your withdrawal paperwork, until you receive your grade. These records may be necessary to correct administrative errors.
Scholastic Dishonesty: “Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework.”
Academic Freedom: “Students are free to disagree with instructors on matters of opinion or personal philosophy, and will incur no penalty from doing so. However, instructors will judge student work based upon its relation to the current state of mainstream scientific fact and theory. Students are allowed to voice opinions, concerns, complaints and suggestions to the instructor. However, it is up to the instructor to decide how to use the student’s comments to meet the class’s best interests.”
Statement on Safety "Health and safety are paramount values in science classrooms, laboratories and field activities. Students are expected to learn, understand and comply with environmental, health and safety (EHS) procedures and protocols, and must agree to abide by the ACC science safety policy. Students are expected to conduct themselves with appropriate professional behavior and with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be immediately dismissed from the day’s activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending all activities. Specific safety information for each activity will be discussed at the beginning of the activity. For those activities that require specific safety training, a student who is late and misses the safety training will not be able to participate in the activity. The comprehensive science safety policy can be found at: .
Students with Disabilities: “Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.” Students who are requesting accommodation must provide the instructor with a letter of accommodation from the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) at the beginning of the semester. Accommodations can only be made after the instructor receives the letter of accommodation from OSD.
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TESTING CENTER POLICY:
Physics tests are not given in the testing center.
STUDENT SERVICES:
The Web address for student services is:
The ACC student handbook can be found at:
INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES:
The Web address for instructional services is:
then click on "Campus Based Student Support Overview".
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